The Allahabad High Court on Friday approved the bail application of Faisal Khan, who was arrested for allegedly offering prayers at the Nand Baba temple in Mathura.
A single bench of Justice Siddharth allowed the bail application of Faisal Khan after hearing arguments of the parties concerned.
The bail application has been filed on behalf of the applicant, Faisal Khan, with a prayer to release him on bail under Sections 153-A, 295, 505, 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC, Police Station Barsana, District- Mathura during pendency of trial.
The applicant and co-accused Chand Mohammad are alleged to have performed namaz inside the temple without the consent of the priest and its photographs were made it viral. The news was shown on television also.
Thereafter, a First Information Report was lodged on the allegation that this act of the applicant and co-accused shows disrespect for the religious feeling of other community and there is possibility of deterioration in communal harmony. It is also suspected the applicants are receiving foreign funds.
The counsel for the applicant submitted that applicant is a renowned social activist who has revived Khudai Khidmatgar movement of India and is working for maintaining communal harmony for the last 25 years. In this connection, he undertook yatra for visiting temples.
He was offered prasad and lunch by Chief Priest of the temple and he also bestowed blessings on him as clear from photographs in dispute. He has further submitted that applicant has been falsely implicated in this case.
Only on the basis of photographs, which went viral, the applicant cannot be said to have intention to disturb the communal harmony of the society. He did not enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple rather he performed namaz outside the temple with the permission of the priest of the temple as clear from the photographs. The allegation of receiving foreign funds is without basis.
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The Court granted bail to Khan after hearing the arguments of the parties. However, the Court directed Khan not to influence the prosecution witnesses, to cooperate during trial and not to use social media to make photos of such activities viral while the trial is pending.
JUDICIARIES SHOULDN’T INTERFERE IN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, SENTIMENTS & PUBLIC OPINIONS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING MATTERS OR GETTING APPROPRIATE OPINIONS OF PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AREAS. ATLEAST JUDICIARIES SHOULD HAVE ASKED LITIGANT TO PROVE HIS POINTS BY ALLOWING PRAYERS IN MOSQUES.